Mail-bag fastening



(No Model.)

J. A.- ROOSEVELT.

MAIL BAG FASTENING.

No. 410,450. I Patented Sept. 3, 1889.. IzyV 1 4/ WITNESSES: INVENTOR- b.fl M BY O D A1 i g ATTORNEYS.

i N. FEI'ER UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. ROOSEVELT, OF I'IEMPSTEAD, TEXAS.

MAIL-BAG FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,450, dated September 3, 1889.

Application filed November 28, 1888. Serial No. 292,060. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. ROOSEVELT, of Hempstead, in the county of \Valler and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Fastening, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a fastening for mail-bags, which may be quickly manipulated to fasten or unfasten the bag.

To this end the invention consists, essentially, of a slide formed with key-hole slots and carried by an overlapping flap, the said slide being adapted to engage headed studs that are secured to one side of the main portion of the pouch and passed through apertures formed in the other side of the pouch, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved mail-bag fastening, the parts being represented as they appear when in position to receive the padlock. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the parts, however, being represented as they appear when moved to a position to permit of the throwing back of the closing-flap. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line a; 00 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionalview on line y 3 of Fig.

In the drawings, represents a mail sack or pouch of ordinary form, to the back of which there is secured a flap 11, formed with a number of apertures 2, which register with apertures 3, formed in the front of the bag, said apertures being placed to receive headed studs 12, said studs being secured to the back of the bag. To the front of the flap 11 there are secured a series of plates 13, said plates being apertured at 4 in line with the apertures 2 of the fia-p. The plates 13 support guiding loops or staples 1.4, and beneath these loops there is placed a slide 15, faced with plates 16. To the slide 15, I connect a hasp 17, which engages a bow 18, made integral with the center staples 11. In the slide 15, I form as many key-hole slots 19 as there are studs 12.

\Vhen it is desired to close the bag, the enlarged portions of the slots 19 of the slide 15 are brought in a position such that they will register with the apertures 2 and 3, thereby providing for the passage of the studs 12 to the position in which they are shown in Fig. 2. Then if the slide be moved in the direction of the arrow shown in connection therewith in said Fig. 2 the enlarged portions of the slots 1!) will be carried from beneath the heads of the studs 12 and the bag will be locked and the flap will be held against: displacement, the parts being locked in the position above set forth by bringing the hasp 17 into engagement with the bow 1S and securing the hasp by a padlock or otherwise.

To unlock the bag, it is only necessary to bring the slide-slots into register with the slots of the flap and front section of the bag, after which the flap may be thrown up and the front of the bag pulled out over the heads of the studs 12.

By means of the construction above described I provide a mail-bag fastening which may be quickly manipulated, and which, when moved to the fastening position, will act to effectually close the two sections of the bag, and by making the slide 15 flexible I materially decrease the danger of breakage.

It will of course be understood that the positions of the studs and the slide could be re versedt'. 6., that the studs could be secured to the flap and the slide to the body of the pouch.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with a mail-bag provided with headed studs and apertures adapted to receive said studs, of a closing-flap, also apertured to receive the studs, a slide provided with key-hole slots adapted to receive the studs and protected by metallic plates, staples or loops secured to the flap overlapping the slide and serving as a guide for the same, a hasp pivotally secured to the slide between two adjacent staples, whereby the motion of the slide is limited, and a staple or bow .18, carried by two of the staples and adapted to engage with the hasp 17, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES A. ROOSEVELT.

\Vitnesscs:

J. J. PAEMELE,

T. S. REEsE. 

